Family farm to be celebrated in Tennessee

The family farm will be celebrated with a “Cotton Pickin' Contest”, on Oct. 22, at The Veterans' Museum in Halls, Tenn., from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the museum, which exhibits history of the Dyersburg Army Air Base, active in World War II from 1942 — 1945.

The “Cotton Pickin' Contest” will compare agriculture methods today with the 1940s. A mule will be on hand to pull cotton bales, while teams compete. One team has promised to have the oldest cotton picker, 92-years-old, to take part in the fun.

Awards will be presented teams in the four divisions for ‘Most Cotton Picked’ and ‘Largest Amount of Donations Collected’. Prizes will include cotton bolls in shadow boxes and other trophies.

The Veterans' Museum is best known for a visit by Memphis Belle's namesake, Margaret Polk, in their 1986 homecoming. Later the museum formed an association with Memphis Belle's last pilot, Robert Little, also a member of the museum. The museum includes several artifacts and photos of the Memphis Belle.

The museum honors area veterans through displays of uniforms, photos, memorabilia, and other donated artifacts, including military vehicles, from WWI through Desert Storm.